Tastebud Magazine by LASA Ezine

Tastebud Inside: The best combos of burgers that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never considered! The secrets behind smooth Ice cream!

Interviews with top chefs!

The beauty of food taken to a new level! Easy and fun foods to cook by yourself!

Letter From the Editor Story and photo by Grace Garven Tastebud was not only inspired by the love of food, but by the city of Austin and their cuisine. Our team focuses on foods from trendy and creative to new and delicious, and we are always willing to explore more behind these foods. As a highschool student, it can be challenging to complete a magazine in such a short amount of time, but with the help of local chefs and a supportive team, our magazine couldn’t have been better. This magazine targets behind the scenes of the kitchen in local restaurants, how certain foods are made, and how food can be used to help people in certain situations. Creativity is also an important factor when exploring different types of foods, and Tastebud focuses on how these diverse foods are much different than the basics. We hope this magazine tickles your taste buds as you explore deeper into Austin’s best eats, and don’t forget to stay hungry!

00 Table Of Contents

Homelessness And Food And How To Invert Their Relationship

28 Behind The Bite

Austinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Artful Eating

A Frozen Art

1. Bibliographies 12. The History Of Ice Cream 20. Benefits From The Bees 28. The Best Burgers From Dish To Delish 34. Food For And By The Incarcerated

tastebudâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

CONTRIBUTORS

Grace Garven

Emily Smith

Grace was born in Austin, Texas and loves to play volleyball, cook, and read and write in her spare time. She started to cook and bake at a young age, inspired by her mom and step father. From making cookies to hamburgers, she always tries to get into the kitchen as much as she can, as well as going to different restaurants to try their own foods. Graceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stories were inspired by her love of food and restaurants all over Austin, which she was willing to try out and interview the chefs and owners.

Emily was born in Austin, Texas and currently attends the Liberal Arts and Science Academy high school (LASA). In her free time, she enjoys baking and rowing at the Texas Rowing Center. Her favorite foods are sushi and fruit. Emily is interested in baking new things, especially desserts, and finds that altering recipes to make them healthier is both a challenging and rewarding task.

Kate Kerwick Kate Kerwick was born in Austin, Texas and currently attends the Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) as a freshman. In her free time, Kate enjoys drawing, writing, and cooking with her mother. Her favorite food is pasta. Her favorite things to bake are loaf desserts, such as pumpkin and banana bread, though sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll settle for just helping to make dinner when she can.

Dhruv Hosali Dhruv Hosali was born in Austin and is a freshman at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy. Dhruv has a passion for eating and making food. In his free time he makes cobblers or plays video games. Dhruv loves to invent foods and ways to make foods. Dhruv is dedicated to studying sciences such as chemistry and physics. Dhruv also loves traveling and learning about different places.

iqui L it N A Frozen Art

Written and Designed by Kate Kerwick. Pictures taken by Kate Kerwick.

d rogen A man at the counter cascades a milky-looking liquid into the metal bowl before him. Without any additional ingredients to add, he lifts the bowl carefully and sets it gently onto a machine to his left, fixing a sturdy whisk-shaped tool to the machine above the bowl. The man pushes one button and the machine lights up, beginning to slowly spin the bowl and churn the liquid. He pushes one more button. 320 degrees below

freezing, liquid nitrogen pours into the bowl, instantly freezing the liquid at the bottom as itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s churned. After a few moments, he takes the bowl back off, scooping the resulting material from the bowl. Is this a science lab? It may seem so, but this is actually just an ice cream shop. However, this is not your everyday shop; this one is special. These special shops prepare their ice cream with liquid nitrogen.

“There is an art to it. Not just anyone can go back there and make the ice cream.” ~ Ashely Cheng Shops like Spun Ice Cream, The Creamistry, The Science Cream, and several other shops around Texas and the U.S. all foster the thriving art of preparing ice cream using liquid nitrogen. The shops each use an array of different equipment and techniques to make the product. Each of the shops are welcoming and make delicious, creamy ice cream to order. However, this unique art of making ice cream is not an easy job for just everyone. “[T]here is an art to it,” Ashley Cheng, co-owner of Spun Ice Cream said. “Not just anyone can go back there and make the ice cream.” Almost as if the world wants to keep this icy treat a delicacy, a certain level of skill is needed. After all, liquid nitrogen is not the safest material to cook with by any means; it takes practice. While there admittedly are more dangerous materials to cook with, such as fryer oil, nothing could quite freeze you as liquid nitrogen does. “I’m not very good at making it myself to be honest,” Cheng said, glancing back at the counter of her shop where the machines used to make the ice cream are located. “It really is like this massive team effort, and the person who’s actually making the ice cream is whoever’s working behind the counter that day.” The man behind

While farms From Left To Right: are a main source, pro1. Ashley Cheng in ducing many front of Spun’s flafruits and grain vour board. that would be 2. The front of Spun useful for fresh flavours, that is Ice Cream. not all you can 3. Spun’s flavour make the ice cream out of. board. The Creamis4. The front of The try uses this Science Cream. potential to its 5. Jose Vaca. fullest, harboring a long list of flavours on their menu. From flavours made from brands of cereal to gluten-free versions of different every flavour, it is evident that this wouldn’t be possible without the magic of liquid nitrogen. “So… all this other places, they have to make cream and store it. This is very hard for them to keep all flavours in store. But we make fresh, so we can add any kind of flavour and make the ice cream. That’s why we have so many flavours,” Cash Rawal, co-owner of the Creamistry at Lakeway, said with a grin. The availability for diverse flavours is accessible by the instant freezing provided by the liquid nitrogen. The effect of liquid nitrogen is that it is so cold, it freezes anything it touches instantly, evaporating less than a second later. This science is used in the ice cream, creating an availability for freshness not accessible by normal ice cream stores. “So you really want to make sure that this, like, incredibly hard work the folks put into making blueberries or growing peanuts or whatever it is [sees a good result] And to be able to have someone harvest something and then turn it around to us, and then can turn around and feed people right after, it’s really nice,” Cheng said. The community of farms in the Austin area are being sourced by these shops to make their product. It makes good business, and the opportunity to use the produce allows for a delicious, easily-made products.

From Top To Bottom: 1. One of the special screens at the Creamistry. 2. A cup of ice cream from the Creamistry. 3. Minar and Cash Rawal, co-owners of the Creamistry at Lakeway

“Yeah, but for me it’s really nice because you maintain the integrity of those ingredients. If you’ve ever tried farming and gardening, especially in Texas, it is soooo hard!” Cheng explains. Not only are fresh ingredients nice to use, but they also enable further appreciation of where they all came from-in the end, coming together to create an interesting dessert. They also make to-order ice cream all the more accessible. “If you like a good ice cream, you know that

2 3

“Like, coming in and seeing it be made and knowing where all the ingrediants come from! To me, that’s worth the drive.” ~Ashely Cheng [this one] is made natural; it’s made right before your eyes. And it is different from the regular ice cream. [T]hat has preservatives and they have artificial flavours. This one is all natural,” Vaca said. Made with natural ingredients and frozen instantly before your eyes, this ice cream may make a more desirable treat. While most ice cream has to be stored in a container in order to be cold, therefore needing preservatives to stay that way, this ice cream does not need to wait “Like, coming in and seeing it be made and knowing where all the ingredients are coming from! To me, that’s worth the drive,” Cheng said, expressing her admiration for the ice cream. Having worked on creating the product for over six years, she holds a high appreciation for the product of her business. In the end, she believes, seeing that the ice cream is made naturally rather than with preservatives seals the deal for her. Ashley Cheng appreciates that she can run Spun Ice Cream with her sister, Christina Cheng. “It’s also nice that it gives us a good excuse to hang out all the time and, um, it’s fun. Yeah, it’s a lot of fun,” Ashley said with a faint smile. The two sisters have worked together in family businesses since they were younger. Christina is the chef of Spun Ice Cream, and is the only reason each of the flavours is possible.

The Picture: The Creamistry’s special shop phone. Yes, it works perfectly well. In fact, she even enjoys taking flavour requests. “She really likes feedback from customers and from the rest of our staff on our team, so usually if somebody wants something she’ll make it for them,” Ashley Cheng said with a laugh. All of the ice cream shops, since they make their ice cream fresh, are able to make a variety of flavours. Some will take requests. Others already have many more flavours and options than you need. The Creamistry in particular has a very wide range of flavours. As it is a franchise, flavours of all types are readily available. While the franchise headquarters reside in California, Minar and Cash Rawal decided to bring it to Lakeway, Texas. “My kids love it and we love it, so I was like, ‘There’s 93 hundred kids in Lake Travis!’” Cash Rawal explained with a proud expression. These ice cream shops are here to cater, and with their ever-growing popularity, they aren’t leaving anytime soon!

“My kids love it and we love it, so I was like ‘There’s 93 hundred kids in Lake Travis!’” ~Cash Rawal The Picture: A ice-cream maker at the Science Cream

The History Of Ice Cream By Kate Kerwick

Philip Lenzi, a confectioner from London, brings the first ice cream shop to America

Flavoured ices invented by the Chinese

Variations of ice cream are beginning to be created in other countries

1300s

1600s

1770

Milkshakes are created as healthy foods. Yes, very nutrituous.

Thomas Jefferson invents French Ice Cream. He’s not even French!

1744

1718

1780’s 1824 1887

300 B.C.

More modern ice cream invented in Italy. Ice is still kind of intangible.

First English ice cream recipe published by Mrs. Mary Eales The term ‘ice cream’ becomes widely used. Wonder what they called it before.

Many more ice cream flavours are being invented. Unfortunately, they are all fruit-flavoured.

Plenty of people like ice cream, but how many people know where it came from? The answer is likely; not many. But ice cream was nearly all over the world before it was even well-developed, and appreciated by many. From itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beginning as flavoured ice in China and the first ice creams in Italy to the first modern day ice cream invented in America, this is the history of ice cream!

Augustus Jackson creates the first Philedelphia frozen custard

David Strickler of Pennsylvania invents the banana split

Present Day With You And Your Ice Cream!

Rum Raisin is invented. Ice cream and alcohol? How could this go wrong?

1894

1914

1932

1945

The floating ice cream parlour is made for sailors in the West Atlantic

During WWI, it became a morale competition to see who could feed their troops more ice cream.

1943

1948

Howard Johnson creates the list of 28 flavours. Each of his stores served 28 different flavours, each different according to region, from a bigger list of 36. 12

Austinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Artful Eating Story and photos by Emily Smith

The interior is bustling with happy customers and is decorated with a snow monster and cafe lights.

“A lot of people are really surprised by how large the portions are and how like, light and fluffy it is, as a dessert as well. So that’s always really fun seeing someone who’s never had it walk in and be blown away by what they’re getting,” says employee, Kitty Trove. A mango snowmonster, with fresh kiwi on the side.

Snow Monster Serving Austin it’s Taiwanese dessert made from fruit extracts and fresh milk, frozen andshaved into fine snow ice.

here are bold, orchard greens, salmon pinks, and chestnut browns streaked across the chef’s ceramic canvas. His signature is a quick motioned smear of mustard yellow, which brings the piece to a satisfying and appealing closing. As the creation is wheeled through the dining hall, a wave of curiosity follows. Without an interesting presentation, healthy foods are often dismissed as too expensive or just unappetizing. The national average for regular produce consumption is only 57.7%. Once a fruit and vegetable nourished plate is arranged in an artful way, it allows them the opportunity discover a new favorite food. Being an urban city, Austin promises a wide range of fast food chains and grocery stores. What’s unique to Austin is its large amount of smaller businesses and restaurants. In the heart of north, west, and central Austin is where there are three restaurants containing local, healthier, and more visually appealing dishes. These artfully prepared foods have an impact on people and are able to draw them in. Stepping into Snow Monster, customers are greeted with a calm atmosphere; pale blue walls, strings of cafe lights, and the blended sounds of jazz music and conversations. Behind the counter is the menu, with “snow ices”, a Taiwanese dessert, and unusual flavors such as matcha, taro, and lychee. Customers are able to watch their order being made behind the counter. Fruit and milk ice blocks are finely shaven with a machine into delicate folds and ribbons of snow ice. Kitty Trove, employee at Snow Monster, speaks about the first impressions she receives from customers. “A lot of people are really surprised by how large the portions are and how like, light and fluffy it is, as a dessert as well. So that’s always really fun seeing someone who’s never had it walk in and be blown away by what they’re getting,” says Trove. Around tables sit different ages and racially diverse groups of customers, all brought together so that they can enjoy a snow ice treat. Snow ice originated in Taiwan and is a common dessert in Asian countries, but it attracts people of all races and ages. “I feel like it varies a lot; we get a lot of older Asian people, usually people who have immigrated to America and have had this in Taiwan and they are really excited to get to see something from their home country here in America. But other than that I feel like it’s usually a lot of younger people, like teens in their early 20’s and people who are more open to trying new things that stop by,” says Trove. The most significant difference between ice cream and snow ice is the presentation of it. The health aspect does play a role, since Snow Monster uses completely natural fruits to flavor their syrups. The texture of snow ice is indescribable; cold and soft at the same time, intricate and yet complete. “I mean, there’s definitely part of it of like, making a dessert that you’re proud to serve rather than just giving someone a bowl of something to eat. It’s always really nice to be complemented when people think it looks good, so we usually try our hardest to make sure it looks really good.” Trove describes.

“The Chill Berry”, an acai, strawberry, banana, and apple juice smoothie topped with hemp granola, strawberries, blueberries, goji berries, and loacl honey.

The interior of Blenders and Bowls.

Blenders L and Bowls Serving Austinites acai smoothie bowls topped with fresh fruit and local honey.

ocated in west Austin is the flagship store of Blenders and Bowls. They offer healthy and natural smoothie bowls containing açaí, a brazilian superfruit. The manager, Phil Hadback had a big role in the making of the local business, as he grew up with the co-founders and shared the same passion- to bring healthy and artful smoothie bowls to Austin. Hadback agrees that everyone appreciates eating something that looks appealing. “Food is so visual, the entire experience, and you provide the entire experience by having something that’s aesthetically pleasing and then is just delicious to eat.” The smoothie bowls also contain açaí berries, which are enriched with the highest concentration of antioxidants than any other known fruit. “The way we discovered acai is there’s a very large group of people, um, the Brazilian population living in Hawaii which is where me and Kara, the owner started eating the bowls about ten years ago. All the Brazilians realized they had a perfect area, they would love to come there and serve for the winter, and they would open little cafes and we would just start trying them and it just became obvious that everyone would really enjoy a healthy, very satiating snack.” Says Hadback. Blenders and Bowls uses natural and organic fruits for their smoothies and smoothie bowls, making it a healthier option than most other smoothie places, which usually contain added sugars. Hadback describes why he values using natural ingredients. “You wanna keep the health benefits with not adding the sugars but also the hidden health benefits of using local honey to help combat some of the local allergens, things like that. The benefits just sort of snowball into so many effects that people appreciate it.” Says Hadback.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Food is so visual, the entire experience, and you provide the entire experience by having something thats aesthetically pleasing and then just delicious to eat,â&#x20AC;? says manager, Phil Hadback.

“I think that when you get something that looks pretty, whether it’s because of the colors or because it’s just cooked well or whatever, that when you get something that looks pretty, that you’re more inclined to try new things that way. ” says manager, Elise Bliss.

Greengos Austin’s quick serving dining option that takes pride in serving wholesome, healthy meals.

The “Superfood” salad, with kale, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, goat cheese, apple slices and edamame.

reengos is a quick service drive through that serves healthy and artfully prepared lunches for customers on-the-go. The manager, Elise Bliss, believes that fast food should have the ability to be defined as healthy. “I think that it’s so important to have a concept like Greengos where it’s fast food, because you don’t have to wait here for 45 minutes to get a healthy meal. If you can come and pick up your lunch and bring it back to work, or whatever, but it’s not only affordable it’s also quick, and so many people are looking for quick and that’s why places like McDonald’s, and Taco Bell, and Burger King are so big and they’re all over the world because it’s quick and it’s so cheap. And so we are trying to make it so that there’s more than just 99¢ hamburgers around. And it’s not overly expensive, it’s affordable for what it is.” Bliss describes. Greengos serves purely healthy foods, but their options are not bland. On their menu you will find a variety of salads, kebabs, deviled eggs, quinoa, and more. They are constantly serving and preparing fresh, locally grown ingredients in their foods. It is a lot of work, but the customers seem to love it. “The prep work is a lot, so we don’t open until 11, but we’re here at like 8:15 every morning for our orders and it is, well we don’t order everything every single day, like our lettuce usually lasts about two days. But I mean, everything is organic and everything is from a place that is right here in Austin, and they come every single day with new stuff.” Says Bliss. While most of the items on the menu are vegetarian, Bliss claims that the most of the customers are not. The people drawn in are not only eating there for the greens, they are intrigued by the healthy fast food aspect. “There are some vegetarians for sure but I think that as a ratio, maybe 8% of our customers are vegetarian. There’s like 40% though that are gluten free and there’s lots of dairy free and vegans, even more than vegetarian I think. There are a lot of vegan people who come here, so yeah.” Bliss describes. Greengos tries to incorporate a variety of ingredients; apples, kale, nuts, cheeses, beans, and more, to create something that’s visually appealing. “I think that when you get something that looks pretty, whether it’s because of the colors or because it’s just cooked well or whatever, that when you get something that looks pretty, that you’re more inclined to try new things that way. And when you have a healthy, fast food place like we do, that lots of people come through and they’re like “well I don’t know what that is so I’m not even gonna do it, I’m gonna just gonna get this one thing that I know,” all the time, always. And so when things are prettier and more accessible, it’s easier to try.” Says Bliss.

Benefits from theBees By Emily Smith

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to swap sugar for raw honey - the components and health claims show that honey is the healthier and the more beneficial of the two.

Honey contains fewer calories than sugar. Per 100g, honey has 304 calories, whereas granulated sugar provides 387 calories per 100g. In addition, sugar causes the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nutrients to become metabolized, thus raising cholesterol and fatty acid levels, and promoting obesity.

In small quantities, honey will give you an immediate boost of energy. The glucose in raw honey is absorbed quickly by the body, giving you a surge of energy. The reason for this is because bees have added a special enzyme to the nectar that divides the sucrose into glucose and fructose.

Honey contains small amounts of vitamins and minerals. While table sugar is described as having “empty calories”, raw honey doesn’t lack the organic acids, proteins, nitrogen elements, enzymes, and vitamins because it hasn’t been manufactured. Honey also contains certain antioxidant and antimicrobal properties not found in sugar.

You’ll consume less of it. Since honey is sweeter than sugar alone, a little goes a long way. You’ll end up using a lot less honey in a recipe than you would sugar.

How to swap sugar with raw honey. In order to use honey as a substitude for sugar in baking, it is important to use the correct proportions so that the texture and consistancy will remain the same.

1 cup granulated sugar = 1/4 - 1/3 cup raw honey Take into consideration other possible sweetners going into the recipe, such as fruit or jam. As a general rule, add less honey at first instead of more. If the amount of honey going into the recipe is over one cup, the moisture content of the recipe could be slightly altered and you may want to scale back slightly on any liquids or high moisture ingredients being used. 20

Behind the Bite Story and photos by Grace Garven

With over 200 restaurants just in downtown Austin, you know that there are many options and a wide culinary range, as well at motivated thinkers and creators behind these foods. Restaurants are packed with hungry customers on the daily, craving the delicious food the city has to offer, and they only expect the best. As a restaurant owner, it can be hard to keep up with the business, and it takes a lot of hard work to put yourself at the very top. Some restaurants really know how to make their restaurant a success, and that all starts with the chefs and owners that started the business. From traditional and delicious to creative and new foods, the founders of Enoteca and Vespaio, Salty Sow and The Peached Tortilla share behind the the scenes of their restaurant and why it is the best of Austin’s good eats. I’m quite a traditionalist,” says Alan Lazarus, owner of Enoteca and Vespaio on South Congress, “and I really believe in doing things in the tradition of how they’ve always been done, and then you can play off that.

I really have an issue with a lot of the new cuisine coming out, where I feel like a lot of these chefs are trying too hard to be different, instead of having a sensibility of what really works and what people really like.” Keeping the tradition can keep customers happy, because they know what foods they like best. Lazarus works hard to keep his traditions in his Italian restaurant, but he always adds a few more ingredients to spice up his dish. “So for me as a chef, a lot of chefs, like a painter, have their board and their basic colors, and then have to blend all those colors to make many colors,” he says. “So, there’s a word in the industry called ‘miesen plas’, which means everything in place.

So you have everything prepped, you have your onions, your garlic, your stock, your mother sauces, and then you bring it all together.” “We have our basic menu with a lot of traditional items like fried calamari or lasagna or caesar salad,” he says, “but every night we run at least

“At the end of the day, people want a plate of food in front of them,” Italian wedding cookie at Enoteca, one of the many delicious desserts in the restaurant.

twelve specials, and those specials are driven by what products come in the door, what seasonal fish, what’s the seasonal vegetable. And then, because you know how to take that pallette, and put it all together, that’s how we create our specials.” Having this basic menu keeps the people that work for him happy and keeps them fresh by creating something new. But Lazarus sometimes has trouble with the other restaurants in South Congress. “I think that these places have their mirror, the new cuisine that’s going on,” he says, “but I feel like at the end of the day, people want a plate of food in front of them. They don’t want to approach that plate of food with a magnifying glass and a tweezer and try to figure out what the hell they’re eating, you know.”

The front of the bar in Salty Sow.

Since there are so many new places coming to South Congress, some of them seem to be trying too hard to be new and creative. “In my mind’s eye, chef’s might like venison stuffed with lobster with vanilla sauce and raspberries, you know and I’m like, ugh! Agh! That’s not in my sensibility.” Sometimes even keeping up with the restaurant can be challenging, and Chef Harold Marmulstein, owner of Salty Sow shares his day to day experiences with the restaurant. “I’ll come in, I’ll see what we have, I’ll see what’s in the walk ins, I’ll get with all the prep cooks, and we’ll see what’s going on for the day in production.” he says. “We’ll see what’s coming in, we’ll check all the orders, we’ll get the specials written for the night, any menu development we want to do we’ll start to get that, we’ll portion up the meat

and fish and any of the braising or any other cooking of stuff that has to get cooked, we do that all day. Although these things seem overwhelming, but Marmulstein is confident that he can complete these challenges. “There isn’t a really difficult part, I think it’s probably in sourcing the food, getting the best ingredients you possibly can, and trying to get things that are local and that are grown, and live in the area.” Lazarus also faces some difficult times, but shares how important it is to contribute your work to the world. “I think the biggest challenge is to keep reinventing,” he says. “Not fall into a rut, keep improvising, keep trying to make it better every day. The biggest challenge now? Is physically.

“You go to work, you work really hard, you’re really tired when you go to bed and you wake up the next day and you got to do it again, you got to do it again.” To keep up with the young people that work here, and keep everybody happy, and keep your employees feeling like they’re giving, they’re producing something in their life, to the community, to the world.” “And I think that’s a really important thing,” says Lazarus, “to feel like you’re giving, that you’re inputting something, because I feel like that everybody has a gift, and contribute to the nucleus, and makes the nucleus even greater. And rather than just live off the nucleus, which some people do too.” The owners of their restaurants are passionate, always trying to work their way to the top. Chef Eric Silverstein, owner of The Peached Tortilla says, “It was always the goal to open a restaurant. But originally I thought I was going to open a fast, casual taco place, but I couldn’t get the funding for it, so I ended up opening up a food truck, because the start up costs were a lot lower. And I wanted to follow up on my dream, really,” he says, “and it was partly about kind of finishing that starting point of opening up a food truck, with the long term goal of opening a restaurant”.

According to Silverstein, it’s all about starting from the bottom and working your way to the top. “Food in all honesty has been a big part of my life,” he says, “and you know, I didn’t go to school to be a chef or anything. All the food at the restaurant I created, but it’s just based on a lot of recipes I grew up eating and just my personal ideas, really.” Silverstein is passionate about food and his business, and is inspired by his dad because he was in the restaurant business as well. “And I feel like, all people have different innate talents,” says Lazarus, “and it’s really important to try to find that talent young, and nurture that talent, and work on that, so I’ve been cooking for so long that it comes natural to me. And I understand the chemestry of it, the process of it, you can do this with that, how it works, I can taste something and I can cook it.” Lazarus understands how to do what he loves because he works at it, and he doesn’t take it for advantage. “ I cooked when I was in school, and went to school for filmmaking actually, and went to New York to work as a commercial film editor, and I realized that my innate talent was cooking,” he says.

So I kind of blew that off, and cooked, because I had to make money and I had to make money and I had my job and I nurtured that skill, and worked until, you know, I got good at it. And I opened my first restaurant when I was 26 years old, a place called Basil’s. It was Italian. I have a passion for Italian food,” says Lazarus. It’s not only important to keep nurturing and exploring deeper into talents, but also having passion for that talent and to keep working on it. “I was the first chef that Whole Foods Market’s ever hired when they only had like four stores” he says. And I moved to California, to start Whole Foods in California, and I was their national chef for seven years, and I kind of started the food service program for Whole Foods. Alan doesn’t stop working until he achieves his goals. “And it’s gotten to a point where I trust the people that work for me, so it’s not as hard now as it was when we first opened, when I had to be here all the time, and I was here, you know, 12 hours, 14 hours every day,” he says, “and I get up in the morning and I do it again. And I think that’s a nig lesson in life, that all young people should learn, is that, to get good at something you

I think everybody has an idea, but not everybody can execute. I think anybody that can have an idea, turn it into something profitable, where they can make a living, I think that in itself is a win.” have to have repetition, you got to do it every day. You go to work, you work really hard, you’re really tired when you go to bed and you wake up the next day and you got to do it again, you got to do it again.” He always tries to stay focused with the restaurant and stay on track, and hopes that everyone else does the same. “So basically, not matter what you do, you have to learn how to work, you got to learn a good work ethic. And I learned that, it takes a long time to get great at what you do, and you can’t be great right away, so you have to be patient and work your way to that point of your career. And I learned early that I was a good chef, and I had a great sense of smell, you know some musicians have a great ear, you know and it comes naturally to them,” says Lazarus. Silverstein also has challenges that he tries to face, such as being the one in charge.

“I mean, one it’s trying to create a leadership. Upper leadership. Creating good managers. He explains how hard it is to be in charge of a restaurant, and it’s not as easy as it looks. “I mean just getting - growing something from an idea to a real business with real revenue and real profit. I think that’s a lot harder than people think” he says. “You know, I think everybody has an idea, but not everybody can execute. I think anybody that can have an idea, turn it into something profitable, where they can make a living, I think that in itself is a win.” One of the best ways to make your restaurant successful is to have good people and good food. “If it’s not right, then don’t send it out, it’s trying to do the best you can and keep it simple,” says Marmulstein. “It’s the people you surround yourself with, and just making quality food, not settling for things that aren’t quality.” “Customer service is really important,” says Lazarus. “I tell people, customers want three basic things: they want to be recognized, and they want to feel good

and be treated well, they want the food to be good and they want the service to be good. And maybe in that order.” “Make sure you hire right,” says Silverstein, “make sure you have a great team working for you, you know successful restaurants are a team, not just one person. Make sure you have an amazing product, but beyond that, make sure you have great service and great ambiance. I think all those things really matter.” These chefs love being in Austin, because it’s a great city with great food. “It’s a growing city, people here eat out a lot, they’re very into now with the newer foods that hit Austin,” says Marmulstein. “I was here about five years ago, I lived here, and, you know it was basically Tex-Mex, and they’re people from other places, and the food scene is changing, it’s getting to be more contemporary with what the rest of the country is doing.” These chefs are passionate about love what they do, especially in a great city. Although there are some challenges involved in owning a restaurant, they can all guarantee that the journey is worthwhile, and hope to achieve their goals.

Premade Italian pasta, ready to be cooked, and wine right on the shelf in Vespaio.

T h e B e s t B u r g e r s from

Dish to Delish

With five delicious twists on the hamburger, these recipies will keep your mouth watering, and will make you crave more. Directions: Cook the burgers for 3 to 5 minutes, and transfer the patties to a hot pan, leaving about two inches of space between each one. Once the burgers have sizzled, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Pretzel Roll

Sesame seed bun

Tuna

Potato Roll

English Muffin

+ Goat Cheese

Beef

Chicken

Arugula

+ Guacamole

Shredded Cabbage

Greek Yogurt

+ Barbeque Sauce

Provelone Cheese

+ Saracha

Pineapple

Mustard

Tomato

+ Lamb

Onion

Turkey

Ciabatta

Red Pepper

Lettuce

Salsa

Other Options Toppings, Seasonings and Cheeses!

Avocado Mushrooms Chives Bacon Dill Pickles Sprouts Apples Olives Basil Mozarella Cheddar Brie Manchego Feta Pepper Salt Garlic Powder Marinara Sauce Mayonaise Sour Cream Pesto Red Pepper Paprika Onion Powder

Homelessness, Food and How to Invert Their Relationship By Dhruv Hosali

What do a nonprofit and a local restaurant have in common?

“I wanted to be a value added to the community” On any given day around 2,200 people around Austin are homeless. 820 of them do not have a place to sleep. 60 percent of the total have reported issues with drugs and alcohol and another 45 percent have mental issues. And with Austin’s population on the rise, that number is bound to increase. Fortunately, for Austinites of whom this is the situation of, there is hope. Organizations like Front Steps and restaurants like Craigos Pizza and Pastaria exist, and these organizations help improve the lives of the homeless and elevate them out of that position. “We work with homeless men to retrain them to reenter the workforce. So it’s a vocational program as well as a commercial kitchen,” says Brian Baldonado, head chef of an organization called Front Steps. Baldonado graduated with a minor in culinary arts from Austin Community College and is a former high end cook. Front Steps is a nonprofit organization that works to feed Austin’s homeless population, give vocational training so they can reenter the workforce and is also a scratch kitchen.

“So I have a full-sized commercial kitchen that does several things: It produces about 180 meals per day. We are a scratch kitchen so everything we make is from scratch we make our own sauces, we make our own breads, dessert. Nothing is pre-made over there… So while it’s not a lot of high-end food like my background is we do make sure that it’s healthy it is scratch cooking and that we are able to a solid training base to an individual who has probably not been in the workforce for five or 10 years and has been living on the streets for multiple years,” Baldonado says. Working at Craigos is giving back to the community as well, and it can be a long term job. At Craigos employees are treated with respect regardless of their background or background knowledge so if someone is new it’s a great place to start. Working at Craigos alleviates the need for predetermined skills because they can be learned on the job. This makes it perfect for people who have been outside of the workforce for a few years. “I have employees that have been with me ever since I’ve opened and managers that have been with me for ten years um and it’s to me like any business you have to treat your employees with respect as well. Employees are my number one guest and it’s my job to make sure they’re happy. So I try to treat them with as much respect as I would want if I was in the workplace,” says Craig Plackis, the Owner of Craigos Pizza and Pastaria. A job like this could potentially change someone’s life. At Craigos, good employees will get promoted so making a living working for Craigos is feasible. “My big thing coming from the restaurant industry is my goal is always to train people up my goal here as many people better off more responsible let them have a better future a better future outlook so I try to promote people as fast as I can. If they are good employees and if the show up, they’re responsive they they they grow in their roll, we promote those people to shift manager, shift supervisor, what we call a key employee and in it’s because we want them to feel that growth we want them to feel that hey you’re important”.

“So I have a full-sized commercial kitchen that does several things: It produces about 180 meals per day. We are a scratch kitchen so everything we make is from scratch we make our own sauces, we make our own breads, dessert. Nothing is pre-made over there… So while it’s not a lot of high-end food like my background is we do make sure that it’s healthy it’s scratch cooking and that we are able to a solid training base to an individual who has probably not been in the workforce for five or ten years and has been living on the streets for multiple years.” Baldonado says. Working at Craigos is giving back to the community as well and it can be a long term job. At Craigos employees are treated with respect regardless of their background or background knowledge so if someone is new it’s a great place to start. Working at Craigos alleviates the need for predetermined skills because they can be learned on the job. This makes it perfect for people who have been outside of the workforce for a few years. “I have employees that have been with me ever since I’ve opened and managers that have been with me for ten years um and it’s to me like any business you have to treat your employees with respect as well. Employees are my number one guest and it’s my job to make sure they’re happy. So I try to treat them with as much respect as I would want if I was in the workplace.” Says Craig Plackis, the Owner of Craigos Pizza and Pastaria. A job like this could potentially change someone’s life. At Craigos, good employees will get promoted so making a living working for Craigos is feasible. “My big thing coming from the restaurant industry is my goal is always to train people up my goal here as many people better off more responsible let them have a better future a better future outlook so I try to promote people as fast as I can. If they are good employees and if the show up, they’re responsive they they they grow in their roll, we promote those people to shift manager, shift supervisor, what we call a key employee and in it’s because we want them to feel that growth we want them to feel that hey you’re going to be acknowledged

you’re doing a good job” Plackis says. Aside from the elevated wage, Craigos offers other positives. Working at places like Craigos helps give back to the community. “So, the history has just been about being your community. I wanted to be value added to the community. And we have been able to do that with Craig Os. We support our local schools, we have given over $100,000 to AISD schools and private schools and we give back to our churches, our YMCAs. We do a lot of community support through our business and we are very happy about it” says Plackis. Giving back to the community does not just have to be serving food to complete strangers, it is really anyone in the food industry in general. Food is very important in Western society and culture, food will never go out of “fashion”, if you will. Food is also a beloved gift, for example, on Valentine’s day, a box of chocolates is the most common gift. “A thing about food is, unless a human being is satisfied about the food they get – whatever quantity or whatever, they wont be able to concentrate on anything. Any achievement of a human being, whatever it is, you can only make it happen if you are content with the food that you have. Otherwise, if someone doesn’t have food they will be on a

relentless pursuit to get more food in poorer regions. So, I think food is so much more important to the human being for their well being, for their state of mind, for how they feel spiritually inside, how they feel physically and how they can concentrate on other things only when they satisfied with the amount of food they have to eat, otherwise they will not be able to do or accomplish anything. So food is the most important part of not just the human life, but any living thingâ&#x20AC;? says Chaya Rao a food enthusiast and food documentary maker/blogger from Bangalore, India. Rao graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in computer science. Life often seems too much to handle and many chefs, cooks, and food enthusiasts have experienced this as well. For many chefs, cooks and food enthusiasts life is busy. Rao has advice on when life gets hard and maybe seems like too much. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I only follow my personal goals and while I encourage everybody doing whatever they are doing I will set my personal goals and I focus on that,â&#x20AC;? says Rao. This advice basically means to focus on yourself, no one else, and only worry about your goals but still be kind and considerate to others. You may have to lower your goals a bit in order to succeed but once you reach them keep moving. Really anything in the food industry has to do with giving back to the community. Whether it be cooking for the family and close friends or working as a cook in a restaurant, cooking for complete strangers there is always a way to help out and maybe even improve the situation in the process.

Food for and by By: Dhruv Hosali

Jailhouse Tamales You need: 1 large bag of corn chips, 1/3 cup of cheese curls or processed cheese food, 1 ounce of filling, 1/2 cup of warm water. To prepare: Crush finely corn chips and cheese into a bag. Mix in filling. Add water and mold into tamale shape. Run under hot water for several miniutes. Cut open to serve.

the Incarcerated How a challenging place led to great foods. Spread You need: 1 large garbage bag, a few packs of ramen, 1 pack of Cheetos, 1 pack of hot Cheetos, filling (can be whatever you want) and tortillas. To prepare: Smash the noodles into small bits and heat water until it is boiling, pour both into the garbage bag and it tie it closed. let it cook for ten minutes. Put the filling into a bowl, pour 1/2 inch of water in and add in the flavoring packets. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Crush up Cheetos. Pour filling and chips into the ramen mixture. Tie up and mix.

Prison Cheesecake You need: Graham crackers, margarine, 1 round of Laughing Cow cheese, vanilla pudding, 1 container of Cemora, 1 tupperware box, 1 lemon, a fork, and a bucket. To prepare: Prepare a crust of crushed graham crackers mixed with four pats of margarine. Bake it in a Tupperware bowl for about a minute in the microwave, and allow it to cool and harden. Take one full round of Laughing Cow cheese, smash with a fork, and mix with a cup of vanilla pudding until smooth. Gradually mix in one whole container of Cremora, even though it seems gross. Beat viciously until smooth. Add lemon juice from the squeeze bottle until the mixture starts to stiffen. Note: this will use most of the plastic lemon. Pour into the bowl atop the crust, and put on ice in the cleaning bucket to chill until ready to eat.

Jack Mack You need: 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, cornmeal, 1 can of Mackerel To prepare: Mix in 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper into the Mackerel. If the mixture does not hold its shape, add additional corn meal to bind it. Form the mixture into hand-sized patties. Heat 2 cups of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Fry the patties on one side until golden brown, and then flip them to repeat on the other side. Transfer the cooked patties to paper towels to drain away excess grease before serving.

Jailhouse Burrito You need: 1 bag of corn chips, 1 pack of Ramen, 1 bag of BBQ chips, 1 1/2 cups of hot water, towel or newspaper, plate, spoon and plastic bag. To prepare : Mix the corn chips, ramen and BBQ chips in the plastic bag and add in the warm water, mix thoroughly. Put ingredients into it and seal in a towel or newspaper. Let it dry for 15-30 miniutes. Empty contents onto a plate and eat with a spoon.

Spicy Savior Soup You need: 1 pair of nail clippers, 1 battery or an outlet and a wire, 1 pinch of salt, 1 cup of water, 1 pot, 1 pack of Ramen To prepare: Tear the nail clippers apart, attach to the battery and drop into the pot or plug the wire in and drop into the pot. Add a pinch of salt and all the ramen to the water let it boil. Pour onto a plate and eat.

Photos by Grace Garven